Blithe Spirit | Concord Theatricals (original) (raw)
A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
- Cast Size
Cast Size
5w, 2m
- SubGenre
Subgenre
Farce
Suggested Use
- Cutting Approved for Competition
- Scene Work
- UIL Approved
- Competition or Audition Material
- Audience
Target Audience
Adult, Senior, Pre-Teen (Age 11-13), Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
- Winner! 2009 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Revival
Details
Summary
A smash comedy hit in London and New York, this much-revived classic from the playwright of Private Lives concerns fussy, cantankerous novelist Charles Condomine, who has remarried but finds himself haunted (literally) by the ghost of his late first wife, Elvira. Clever, insistent and well aware of Charles' shortcomings, Elvira is called up by a visiting “happy medium,” the eccentric and flighty Madame Arcati. As everyone's personalities clash, Charles’ current wife, Ruth, is accidentally killed. She “passes over” and joins Elvira, allowing the two “blithe spirits” to haunt the hapless Charles into perpetuity.
History
Blithe Spirit premiered on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre on November 5, 1941. Directed and produced by John C. Wilson, the production featured Clifton Webb, Leonora Corbett, Mildred Natwick and Peggy Wood. The play returned to Broadway in 1987, featuring Richard Chamberlain, Blythe Danner, Judith Ivey and Geraldine Page. A 2009 Broadway revival, directed by Michael Blakemore, featured Rupert Everett, Christine Ebersole, Jayne Atkinson and Angela Lansbury. Lansbury, who was 83 years old at the time, won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
EDITH – A maid
RUTH – Charles' current wife
CHARLES – Husband to Ruth and, before her passing, to Elvira
DR. BRADMAN
MRS. BRADMAN
MADAME ARCATI – A medium
ELVIRA – Charles' late wife
- Time Period1940s/WWII
- SettingThe living room of Charles Condomine's house in Kent, England. 1941.
- FeaturesElaborate/High-Volume Costumes, Fantasy Costumes, Period Costumes
- Additional FeaturesPhysical Comedy
- Cautions
- Mild Adult Themes
Media
“Expertly crafted and effervescent.” – The Hollywood Reporter
“A highly efficient laugh machine... Can still keep an audience in a state of tickled contentment.” – Ben Brantley, The New York Times
“Rip-roaring... a scintillating comedy.” – John Simon, Bloomberg News
“A world-class comedy.” – TheaterMania
“Coward’s expertly crafted and effervescent dialogue, swimming in dry martinis.” – The Hollywood Reporter
ON BREAKING CHARACTER
20 Plays & Musicals for Spooky Season
Annette Storckman
September 27, 2019
A Fascination with Life After Death: 75 Years of Blithe Spirit
by Alejandra Venancio
November 4, 2016
Photos
Image: 2009 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)
Music
- Musical StyleN/A (Not a musical)
- Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
Licensing & Materials
- Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
Please submit a license request to determine availability.
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Authors
Noël Peirce Coward was born in 1899 and made his professional stage debut as Prince Mussel in The Goldfish at the age of 12, leading to many child actor appearances over the next few years. His breakthrough in playwriting was the controversial The Vortex (1924), which feature ...